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Home Technology Trends

Posted by Cheryl Savit on 14 June 2018 | 0 Comments

Homeowners expect the best of everything, including smart home technology. No longer the purview of sci-fi movies and cartoons like The Jetsons, Back to the Future and Minority Report, the Internet of Things (IoT) and connectivity is here now.

By 2020, there will be approximately 25 billion IoT-enabled devices, many of which will be used to automate and control consumers’ homes. Home automation and integration cover a gamut of benefits:

High end entertainment, video and audio streaming

HVAC and energy efficiency

Security and surveillance

Window treatments and shade control that protects furnishings

Lighting control that sets “scenes” and efficient lighting levels

Managing devices within the home and remotely controlling systems in the home or multiple residences

Ability to add and optimize smart home capabilities as new technology becomes available

So what are you doing to provide peerless functionality in this realm? Collaborating with one of the EM NARI members who specialize in home technology is one way you can offer your clients all of these benefits, distinguish yourself from your competition, and provide excellent customer service.

“One of the myths of “wireless” products is that no wires are required. Wrong. Structured wiring is a prerequisite that makes all of these new devices work seamlessly,” says Matt Remeika, Business Development and Sales Manager for Audio Video Design. “The best time to handle this kind of work is when the walls are open during renovation or early stages of building a new home. Better yet, having a home technology expert on your team from the beginning of any project will ensure that your clients have the benefits they want and the products and platforms they need, saving everyone time and money in the long run.”

Home Technology Products & Brands to Consider

One of the leading innovation companies, Lutron, provides automated lighting and window treatments. Several Lutron products can stand alone or they can be integrated with home control systems like Crestron, Savant and Control4. Clients can easily turn lights on and off from their smart phones or raise and lower shades. Many platforms can be programmed with pre-set times depending on the time of the day, season of the year and occupancy of the home.

Specialty TVs are all the rage. The Samsung Frame TV allows owners to choose from a variety of artwork that appears on the screen when the TV isn’t broadcasting. Set into a thin frame, you might wonder – is it art or a television? Séura offers fabulous 4K TVs that disappear into mirrors with a variety of frames from which to choose. Their outdoor TVs - like the Storm - are completely weatherproof, so clients can watch the ballgame from their pool or patio.

Séura Mirror TV off (above) and on (below) - images courtesy of Séura.

Technology That Helps Your Clients

GMT Home Designs has launched a virtual reality experience in their design process. “One of our missions is to bridge the gap between design and reality for our clients in a way that they can easily comprehend,” says Glenn Travis, Principal of GMT Home Designs. “Clients were impressed being able to see their home designed in 3D using Chief Architect, and virtual reality takes it to the next level. The added benefit of virtual reality has been phenomenal! Clients can put on the VR glasses and be fully immersed in their future design. They can sense size and scale, different building materials and lighting conditions. GMT believes in the importance of staying up to date with the current technologies to bring the greatest benefit to our clients.”

At the Marvin Windows showroom at Seven Tide in the Seaport district, technology helps homeowners imagine what a particular door or window will look like in a variety of colors, sizes and finishes taking the guess work out of the end result.